After The Storm
by Dollop-o-Daisy
Summary: After the encounter with the sandbenders who took Appa away brings the very worst out in Aang, only one person manages to calm him out of the Avatar State. But what about after that, when he has to face the friends who he treated like dirt, as well as his bison's thieves? This is a oneshot that takes place at the end of The Desert and before The Serpent's Pass.


**Second fic on here, woo! I've had this idea in my head for a while now, as I've been wondering what exactly happened after the events of The Desert. This isn't anything spectacular, but it deals with how everyone reacted after what happened and how they themselves dealt with it. **

**There's _very_ slight Kataang, but it's all mostly friendship-based. I'm still getting back into the hang of writing, so please excuse any mistakes or awkward phrases or whatever. Don't forget to review!**

* * *

**_"Tell me where Appa is!"_**

**_"I traded him.. to some merchants! He's probably in Ba Sing Se by now. They were going to sell him there!"_**

The sandbenders raised their hands desperately, all but begging for their lives as far as they could tell. Nothing had prepared them for the fury of the Avatar, who looked like he was ready to tear them all apart just like he'd done to their gliders. His staff was pointed at them threateningly like a loaded gun: his temper the trigger.

**_"Please! We'll escort you out of the desert, we'll help however we can!" _**

His frown grew deeper and his glowing eyes became more deadly as sand began rising up and encircling his body. He was becoming more detached as his fury split apart the seams of reality, breaking through the last of his limit. His anger had been bubbling under the surface for so long.. but being face to face with Appa's thief caused it to blow up and spill over the edges.

**_"Just get out of here! Run!"_**

Sokka's voice could just be heard as he grabbed Toph and fled towards the sandbenders, leading them away from the enraged airbender. By this point, Aang had lost all sense of self, and was now too far into the Avatar State to pull out now. His fury was exploding, and it became more apparent as his staff fell from his hands into the sand and a large ball of wind engulfed his form, growing all the more angry and powerful by the second.

Just like he was.

But while everyone else fled the rising sandstorm, one person stood behind it all, a look of utter devastation on her face.

All she'd wanted to do was keep them all together. She had put up with his bitterness and hostility towards her; had put up with every dirty look and accusing comment he'd given her. All because she knew how much he was going through, and that her getting angry with him would only make things worse. His misery had been unbearable.

But this... this was the opposite of everything she had strived for while trying to keep everyone else alive in the desert. He had gone too far, and was barely recognisable any more.

The storm continued to grow stronger as it circled Aang, completely surrounding him so he wasn't even visible any more. His feet came of the ground and he slowly ascended into the air, still focused on the sandbenders, even though he could barely see them any more. All control had been lost, and nothing could stop him.

_No. Enough is enough._

Without second thought, Katara bravely stepped forward, directly into the fierce storm. She walked right up to the hovering airbender: his hands cramped and teeth clenched with pure, unstoppable fury. He really looked like he was about to destroy everyone in sight.

But despite that, she still reached right through the sphere of furious wind, grabbing onto his wrist to prevent him from going any higher.

Instantly he turned to her, all anger and hatred still apparent on his face. He didn't look like himself, and it was terrifying. The look he was giving her was terrifying. But she didn't back down. Instead she just looked at him: looked right into his luminescent eyes, her own expression one of nothing but sincerity and sadness.

_Stop it. Stop it now. This isn't you. You're better than this. You know you are._

When he had been momentarily subdued, she reached up and took hold of his other wrist, pulling him back down to earth; to reality. He lost resistance instantly and allowed her to do so, and she wasted no time in pulling him right into her arms as soon as his feet were back on the ground.

She embraced him so tight against her: it was nothing short of fierce and desperate. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, her hair and clothes flying wildly as the ball of air surrounding them refused to falter.

They were right in the eye of the storm, and she was determined to calm it.

She refused to let go, still holding onto him tightly. The winds began to calm every so slightly: enough for Toph and Sokka to look back towards them.

Her feet were firm against the sand, and his were as well. Not even caring if it'd work or not, she would not let go. He'd needed this hug from the very beginning, and she almost cursed herself for not giving it sooner. He'd crumbled and cracked at the edges: the loss of Appa taking a greater toll on him than anything she'd seen before. It was no surprise: considering the bond the two shared, and the fact that they were both the last of their kind.

Tears rapidly flowed down his cheeks as she gripped him even tighter: her own eyes beginning to flood. She WOULD calm him. It was all she cared about now. He needed to be calmed and soothed and comforted, and she would be the one to do just that. It was her job to do so, her duty. As his friend, she would make sure that he would be okay.

Finally, the airball melted away, and the surrounding winds ceased and calmed. Sand still flew through the air, but it was nothing in comparison to the sheer fury that had just ensued.

But Katara didn't move: she didn't even open her eyes. All she wanted was to hold him to her, and let him know that everything would be alright – even if she wasn't entirely sure that it would be. She'd kept strong all this time for everyone else's sake, and would continue doing so. It was just in her nature.

Soon enough, the air around them was completely calm. It was almost eerie. Aang's arrows and eyes ceased to glow, but they stayed shut tight as his angry expression turned into one of heartbreaking sadness. All rage and fury melted away in Katara's embrace, and she felt him relax into her.

Relief filled her, but she still refused to let him go. His shoulders began quaking ever so slightly, and she heard quiet choked sobs coming from his dry mouth. Her teeth clenched and she cried with him, feeling him shift as he turned to her properly, suddenly clinging to her with his own arms and burying his face into her welcoming shoulder.

How much he'd needed this. How much he'd needed her. All that filled him now was sheer and utter sadness, heartbreak, and guilt. He didn't deserve this. Not after the way he'd acted. But he was too tired and too broken to care, and just wanted to hold onto her forever.

Sokka was about to head over to them, but he quickly turned to the sandbenders. "Don't move! We still need that escort," he said sternly, before grabbing Toph's arm and running towards Aang and Katara.

They were still holding onto each other for dear life, and Sokka instinctively slowed down when he approached them. All fury and anger seemed to have escaped Aang, and now he just looked like a lost little boy, crying into his sister's embrace.

"Are you guys.. okay?" It felt like a ridiculous question, because they were anything but. Still, it was one of those questions that always needed to be asked. Toph's expression matched Sokka's concerned one, and there was no doubt she was worried about them as well.

Katara's eyes finally opened, and she sniffed loudly before looking towards them, still clutching Aang to her.

She didn't know how to answer. She wasn't really thinking about how she felt.. she was just worrying about him.

"We will be," she said simply, her voice stern and determined, albeit a little shaky due to her crying. Because it was true. They were far from okay just now, but things would get better. They always did.

She then looked back towards the sandbenders, and let out a sigh. "As much as we don't want it, we need that escort. It's our only way of getting out of the desert."

She looked to Aang then, knowing how much he most likely couldn't bear being around the very man who stole and muzzled Appa. But his crumpled face showed that he understood that they really had no choice. She dropped one arm but kept the other wrapped around his back, giving him a squeeze. He took a step back, but still clung to her shoulder with one hand: their sides completely pressed together, his fingers tangled into her tunic. It was clear they weren't going to let go of each other any time soon.

"Let's hurry up then, before they make a run for it. They still probably think Aang will slice them in two!" Sokka said in his usual dry amused tone, but Aang didn't find it as funny. He stayed silent as Katara shot her brother an angry look, which Sokka responded to with a shrug. "Just trying to bring some comedy to a bad situation."

He then raised his hand and waved to the sandbenders, signalling that they were ready for the escort. All of their sailers had been destroyed due to Aang's fury, so they'd all need to travel on the one the gang fond in the desert. It would be a very awkward and uncomfortable ride, but it was a necessary one.

Soon the sandbenders joined them, and Ghashiun's father looked very sorry while the others prepared the sailer. He nudged his son's shoulder angrily, making it very clear how upset he was with him.

"I'm sorry for stealing your bison," he said quietly, still a bit shaken up after witnessing the Avatar's rage. His father then dismissed him and looked back to the group. "We'll do whatever we can to make up for this. And I'll be sure to keep a better eye on him in the future." And with that he nodded to them, which Katara and Sokka returned, before he went to join the others.

Aang completely avoided looking at them, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground, even when they were being spoken to. They got onto the glider and sat at the edge, leaving enough space for the others – including the benders who would steer the contraption through the sand.

"We appreciate this," Sokka said quietly, sitting on the side with the others, giving the sandbenders instructions in the direction they wanted to head in.

Katara continued to hold Aang to her as he leaned against her shoulder, all anger and bitterness now non-existant within his body. He just felt so sad and so helpless, and couldn't stop worrying about his poor bison.

Soon the sailer began making its swift way across the desert. Momo clung to Toph as the speed was a bit much for the light creature, and she held him in her lap to keep him calm. It was silent for a while, as no one in the group knew what to say.

Katara's attention turned to the boy leaning against her as he shifted to finally look at his friends. He mustered a lot of courage, and knew that he owed them all an apology. The guilt inside him was twisting up and only fuelled his depression, and he couldn't handle it any more. They were his friends, they deserved better.

"I-I'm sorry."

His voice cracked with every syllable, and it was so quiet it was barely audible. But they all heard it.

Katara pushed her face into the top of his head, and he responded by nuzzling into her.

"It's okay. No one blame's you for what happened," she said softly.

"Yeah Aang, it's not like you can control the Avatar State. We all lose our temper every now and again," said Sokka in an understanding tone.

Aang sighed and shook his head, reluctantly letting go of Katara but still leaning into her. He wiped his face with his sleeve before looking back at them.

"No, I'm sorry for the way I've been acting, the way I've treated everyone. I don't remember the last time I felt this bad, but I had no right to take it out on any of you."

Despite his raspy voice, his tone was one of sincerity. His silver eyes found the earthbender next to him, and the fact that she couldn't see him actually made him feel braver about facing her than it should've done. When someone can't see your vulnerability, it makes it a bit easier to be vulnerable before them.

"Especially you, Toph. I'm sorry I got so angry with you."

Thinking about the way he'd spoken to her after Appa had been taken: how he'd all but blamed her for it when she'd saved their lives.. it made him cringe. How could he had said something like that? It was so insanely unfair of him, and he just felt so bad for it.

"Don't worry about it," she replied with a smile that told Aang that he had been completely forgiven. "I'm just glad you were stopped before you could go on a homicidal rampage. Katara sure is good at handling you." She folded her arms and smirked as Momo wrapped himself around her shoulders, and Sokka couldn't help but chuckle. As annoying as she often was, there was no doubt Katara was pretty good at handling everyone.

A slight smile appeared on Aang's face, but it was very small and forced. He turned back to Katara who was also smiling, and it was just everything he needed to see in that moment. He wrapped his arm around her once more and cuddled into her, and even though it may have looked awkward and unnecessary, it was what they both needed. It was a comfort thing: her making sure he was alright and he making sure she was still there. Her touch was her way of saying that she'd always be there, and it was more than enough for him.

–

They travelled for what felt like hours. Soon Toph fell asleep against Aang who had fallen asleep against Katara, and Sokka was beginning to drift off as well. He was trying his hardest to stay awake, but was failing miserably – especially as the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.

"Just go to sleep, Sokka. I promise you won't miss anything," Katara said in an amused voice.

"Fine, but wake me up the SECOND we get out of the desert, okay?"

And with that Sokka was off, leaning back against the wood below, Momo clinging to his shirt as he happily snoozed on top of him.

"How long do we have left?" Katara asked the nearest sandbender, looking at the evening sky.

"Not long now. We're nearly out," he replied, not taking his focus off the billowing sail. Katara felt relieved: she was getting sick of the desert now. Good had come from journeying into it and she didn't regret it considering the important information they'd come across from within the library. But after everything that had happened, she just wanted to get out of it as soon as possible and focus on getting to Ba Sing Se.

–

Soon enough, mountains became visible at what appeared to be the end of the desert. Katara's eyes widened, and a happy gasp escaped her mouth.

"Guys, look!" she exclaimed, and tired murmurs were heard as the others awoke and sleepily looked in the direction where she was pointing. They were getting closer to solid ground every second, and even Aang had to smile with relief.

"What? What is it?" Toph exclaimed, looking around frantically after her sudden wake.

"We're getting to the end of the desert!" Katara exclaimed happily. Toph all but threw her fists into the air with a cheer.

"YES! Finally! I am SO done with this sand bowl, I can't _wait_ to feel earth under my feet again." She chuckled and Sokka blinked tiredly as he sat up, looking at the mountains getting closer as they were approaching.

Aang rubbed his baggy eyes, and while he looked exhausted there was undoubtedly a spark of hope in his grey eyes. The poor boy hadn't had a good night's sleep in far too long, and he was just looking forward to finally getting some much-needed rest.

Of course Katara noticed the spark, and her heart warmed for him. She squeezed him to her, and he accepted it happily and settled against her side once again. He was still so tired, but they were so close to getting out of the desert that he knew there was no point in going back to sleep. But staying awake was proving difficult due to his tiredness, and how comfortable the girl next to him was. But he managed.

–

Time passed all too quickly then. The sky turned from bright orange to a soft purple-blue, and the air went from smouldering hot to cool and breezy so quickly it surprised everyone. A small town was right at the outskirt of the desert leading into the mountains, and as soon as the sailer was parked they wasted no time in quickly buying new supplies, considering along with Appa, they had been taken as well.

They thanked the sandbenders, and even Aang apologised to them for destroying their sailers. Well, he apologised to everyone but Ghashiun, who's gaze he was still angrily avoiding. His father said he'd see to him anyway, and muttered something about not believing his son's behaviour considering his age. Soon they parted ways, and the farther away they were from the sandbenders and the desert, the better.

Their time in the market also went by very quickly. They bought some food and sleeping bags and then wasted no time in heading through a pass in the mountains, following Sokka's map. After walking rather far into the pass and coming across a lake, they all decided they could rest for the night.

Of course Toph was utterly overjoyed to finally be back on solid ground, and as they walked through the rocky pass she wasted no time in earthbending as much as she could: pulling boulders out of the ground for the heck of it and making earth tents for everyone around the campfire. Aang was still quiet, but he was still recovering, and everyone tried their best not to pressure him and gave him his space. The atmosphere was a lot more relaxed now though, and they could all feel it as they sat around the fire, happy to finally enjoy the peacefulness.

"I'm so glad we're finally out of the desert," Katara said, voicing what they were all thinking. Aang was still sat particularly close to her, and he nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it. You just HAD to pick the library as a vacation spot, didn't you Sokka?" Toph said in a teasingly accusing voice, and Sokka immediately pulled a face.

"Yeah, like I PLANNED all of this to happen," he muttered, earning a laugh from everyone, including Aang. His laughter was like ringing bells in Katara's ears, and on an impulse she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, earning her the warmest look she'd seen from him in a while.

"What matters is that it's all over, and we can finally focus on getting to Ba Sing Se," he said, surprising everyone before they nodded in agreement. "And find Appa," Toph added earnestly. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she still felt guilty after what had happened. Plus she missed the big furball.. and they kind of needed their main source of transportation.

Aang smiled and nodded in agreement, before opening his mouth in a wide yawn. This started a chain reaction, as everyone else also began yawning – even Momo who was curled up in the Avatar's lap.

"Well, that can wait until tomorrow. I think it's sleepytime now," Sokka said, getting to his feet and arching his back in a stretch.

"You said it," Toph replied, cracking her limbs as she also stood and stretched, turning to head to her rocky dome. But before she could do so, she felt Aang's soft feet approach her, and he suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist before pulling her into a hug.

Even though it came out of nowhere, Toph appreciated it and hugged him back, feeling him tense up against her.

"Seriously Twinkle Toes, don't worry about it any more, I forgive you," she said softly, patting his back. "I'm just worried you're still angry with _me_."

Aang smiled and shook his head. "I'm not. I never blamed you, Toph. You saved our lives after all, and you couldn't of held onto the library and stopped the sandbenders at the same time.. no matter how awesome you are."

Toph also smiled and gave him a squeeze. "No argument there. I would've done more if I could've."

"I know."

The two broke the hug, but now the air around them had been cleared and they were both feeling a sense of relief. Their strained relationship had been fixed, and their hearts and minds had been soothed because of it. It was one less weight for Aang to carry on his already heavy shoulders.

Sokka had already disappeared into his tent, and Aang was sure there weren't any hard feelings from him considering they hadn't really interacted much in the desert. He'd been too depressed and quiet, while Sokka had been too.. intoxicated, hallucinating on some cactus juice he'd found and drank while Aang had been away looking for Appa.

"Goodnight Sokka," he called through the door, and Sokka replied with a loud snore. Aang shrugged and smiled, turning back to Katara who was smiling back at him with approval and pride.

"You need to get some rest," she said softly as he walked up to her. "You've not slept in too long, you look exhausted."

"I am," he said, another wide yawn accompanying his statement. "Before I go to bed, though.. I want to thank you, Katara. You actually took me out of the Avatar State before I could hurt anyone.. I didn't even know other people could do that. You brought me back, and I'm so grateful."

The smile that spread across his face all but made her heart leap through her chest, and she almost felt hot tears push out from behind her eyes. His words meant so much, and his gratitude seeped through to her very core.

"I'm just glad I was able to help, I couldn't bear seeing you like that. I figured you'd needed that hug for a while."

"I was so awful to you. But after everything, you still put up with me." His eyes widened and shimmered with pure gratitude. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Katara opened her arms and the two embraced once more. It was warm and welcoming like she was, and he wished she could hold him like this all night.

"I don't know what I'd do without you either," Katara replied, releasing him from the hug and giving him a warm smile before turning to her earth tent. "Sleep well, Aang."

"You too, Katara. G'night," he said softly, entering his tent and wasting no time in curling up in his sleeping bag as Momo leapt onto his stomach, chattering as the airbender petted him before curling up into a tight ball.

His heart was still heavy and by no means had he gotten over Appa's theft, but he would put on a brave face for everyone. They had other things to focus on now, and he would try his hardest to focus on them.

After all, every step closer to Ba Sing Sa was a step closer to his beloved bison.


End file.
